Merab Dvalishvili shared his prediction for the potential matchup between Ilia Topuria and Arman Tsarukyan, stating that while he likes Arman as a fighter, Topuria will defeat him because Tsarukyan won't be able to take Ilia down and will fall into a knockout when he tries to box with him. Dvalishvili also reflected on his title fight loss to Petr Yan, saying he could have beaten anyone else that night except Yan, who prepared specifically for him. He recalled Yan landing painful body kicks, with one strike so brutal in the second instance that he had to press forward through the pain because he couldn't escape. In other news, the post mentions Conor McGregor paid out a settlement to Artem Lobov for his unpaid contribution to Proper Twelve whiskey, Carlos Ulberg lost his belt at a party, and training updates on various fighters.
Merab Dvalishvili has gone on record with a bold prediction for a potential Ilia Topuria versus Arman Tsarukyan matchup, while also opening up about the painful details of his UFC bantamweight title loss to Petr Yan.
Speaking publicly, Dvalishvili expressed respect for Tsarukyan as a fighter but gave the clear edge to his Georgian teammate Topuria. His reasoning was straightforward: Tsarukyan will not be able to take Topuria down, and the moment he commits to a boxing exchange, he will walk into a knockout.
Topuria, now 17-1 and ranked second in the lightweight division as well as the current pound-for-pound number one, is 29 years old and fighting out of Spain. The southpaw-turned-orthodox striker lands 4.81 significant strikes per minute at a 48 percent accuracy rate, and also mixes in nearly two takedowns per 15 minutes alongside regular submission attempts, making him a genuinely complete threat.
On the subject of his own title loss, Dvalishvili reflected candidly that he felt capable of beating anyone that night — with one exception. He described Yan as having prepared specifically for him, and recalled the body kicks as particularly devastating. One strike in the second round was so damaging that he had to push forward through the pain simply because retreating was not an option.
Why it matters
- Dvalishvili's comments add public momentum to a potential Topuria versus Tsarukyan title fight at lightweight
- His breakdown of the Yan loss offers rare insight into how targeted preparation can neutralize a high-volume fighter
- Separately, the report notes that Conor McGregor settled a legal dispute with Artem Lobov, the 39-year-old Irish fighter who claimed unpaid contributions to the Proper Twelve whiskey brand
- Carlos Ulberg, the 35-year-old New Zealand light heavyweight ranked third in his division, reportedly lost his belt at a party
